This invention relates generally to heated sleeping bags and, more particularly, to a heated sleeping bag having heating elements powered by a battery that is rechargeable by energy from a solar cell.
Sleeping bags are used primarily by campers for sleeping in an outdoor environment. When used in a very cold environment, however, maintaining sufficient heat therein during the nighttime hours is a daunting task. Several devices have been proposed in the art for heating an otherwise conventional sleeping bag. As conventional forms of electricity are typically unavailable, such devices are powered by rechargeable batteries. Although assumably effective for their intended purposes, existing apparatuses do not utilize a form of energy that is often readily available to the camper for recharging batteries, that is, solar energy. In addition, existing devices do not provide for selectively heating desired regions of the sleeping bag so as to conserve energy.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a solar heated sleeping apparatus having heating coils that are powered by a battery that is recharged as solar rays impinge upon a solar cell. Further, it is desirable to have a solar heated sleeping apparatus in which various regions of a sleeping bag may be selectively heated. In addition, it is desirable to have a solar heated sleeping apparatus in which the solar cell is mounted upon a flexible panel that may be selectively coupled to the sleeping bag.